Tracheal tube adaptor and flaring jig

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure describes systems and methods that utilize a tracheal tube adaptor system. The tracheal tube adaptor system includes a tracheal tube adaptor and/or a flaring jig. A proximal end of a tracheal tube may be flared and the tracheal tube adaptor may be coupled to the proximal end of the tracheal tube. The tracheal tube adaptor may be configured to easily attach and detach an end connector. The end connector may be used to couple a variety of medical devices such as a ventilator, a manual respirator, a nebulizer, a vaporizer, suctioning equipment, and so forth, to the tracheal tube. The use of the tracheal tube adaptor system and methods enables the rapid detachment and attachment of various end connectors, thus allowing the coupling of the tracheal tube to a variety of medical devices.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to tracheal tubes and, moreparticularly, to tracheal tube adaptors and tracheal tube flaring jigs.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure,which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed tobe helpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statementsare to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

In the course of treating a patient, a tube or other medical device maybe used to control the flow of air, food, fluids, or other substancesinto the patient. For example, tracheal tubes may be used to control theflow of air or other gases through a patient trachea and into the lungsduring patient ventilation. Such tracheal tubes may include endotracheal(ET) tubes, tracheotomy tubes, or transtracheal tubes. In manyinstances, it is desirable to connect a medical device, such as aventilator, to the patient. In this way, breathing may be artificiallyenhanced and monitored. Accordingly, the tracheal tube may include anend connector that may used to couple the tracheal tube to theventilator.

However, the tracheal tube end connector may be of a size or a type thatis not suitable for connection to the medical device. Removing thetracheal tube end connector and replacing the end connector with asuitable end connector can be difficult, particularly in cases where theconnector is press or interference fit into the end of the tube.Typically, the end connector is removed by cutting the proximal end ofthe tracheal tube, leaving the tracheal tube unflared. An unflaredtracheal tube makes insertion of a new connector very difficult becausethe tracheal tube proximal opening is typically small and rigid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the disclosed techniques may become apparent upon readingthe following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates embodiments of a tracheal tube, a tracheal tubeadaptor, and an end connector;

FIG. 2 illustrates embodiments of a tracheal tube adapter inserted in atracheal tube, and an end connector;

FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of a tracheal tube adapter and an endconnector both inserted into a tracheal tube;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a tracheal tube adapter;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of embodiments of a tracheal tube, aflaring jig, a tracheal tube adapter, and an end connector;

FIG. 6 is a top view of an embodiment of a flaring jig; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of embodiments of a flaring jig and aproximal end of a tracheal tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present techniques will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are describedin the specification. It should be appreciated that in the developmentof any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or designproject, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made toachieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

The disclosed embodiments include medical devices for artificial airwayapplications. In certain embodiments, a tracheal tube adaptor isprovided that may be securely placed into the proximal end of a trachealtube. The tracheal tube adapter includes a rigid material that holds theshape of the tracheal tube adapter when placed inside the tracheal tube.The tracheal tube adapter allows a standard end connector, for example,a 15 mm outer diameter (OD) end connector, to be inserted into thetracheal tube adaptor, thus allowing for rapid attachment of devicessuch as ventilators, manual respirators, suctioning equipment,nebulators, vaporizers, tee connectors, and so forth, to the proximalend of the tracheal tube.

In certain circumstances, for example when a patient is alreadyintubated, a medical device such as suctioning equipment may need to becoupled to the tracheal tube. However, the medical device may have aconnector sized differently or of a different type (e.g., maleconnector, female connector) that is not compatible with the current endconnector of the patient tracheal tube. Traditionally, a clinician wouldhave to extubate the patient and replace the tracheal tube with atracheal tube having a suitable end connector or would have attempted toreplace the end connector while the patient is intubated. In othersituations, a technician or physician may wish to shorten a standardtracheal tube. In both cases, the end connector may need to be removedand replaced. Replacing the end connector typically would requirecutting the tracheal tube, removing the existing end connector, andforcibly inserting a new end connector into the proximal end of thetracheal tube. However, the proximal end of the tracheal tube is notvery pliant and it is generally desirable to have the connector fit verysnuggly in the tube to avoid inadvertent separation of the two.Accordingly, inserting a new end connector is very difficult, even incircumstances where the tracheal tube is not in place in a patient.Accordingly, embodiments of the tube adapter described herein facilitatedetachment of the end connector and attachment of a new end connector(or even the same connector), even in circumstances where the patient isintubated. Additionally, the disclosed techniques include embodiments ofa flaring jig that may aid in the insertion of the tracheal tube adapteror an end connector into the tracheal tube.

With the foregoing in mind and turning now to FIG. 1, the figure depictsan embodiment of a tracheal tube system 10 that may be utilized toprovide respiratory support in a patient. A tracheal tube 12, shown hereas an endotracheal tube, may be inserted into a patient trachea. Thetracheal tube 12 includes a distal end portion 14 and a proximal endportion 16. The distal end portion 14 is inserted into the trachea andtypically includes a curved portion so as to comfortably fit inside thepatient airway. In certain embodiments, the inner diameter (ID) of thetracheal tube 12 may be approximately 1 mm-20 mm, which may varydepending on whether the patient is a neonatal patient, a pediatricpatient or an adult patient. The tracheal tube 12 may be any suitablelength. For example, the tracheal tube 12 may be 50 mm-500 mm. A distalopening 18 may be beveled to allow for smoother insertion through thelarynx and trachea. The tracheal tube 12 may also include any suitablenumber of lumens, such as lumen 20 that may be appropriately sized andshaped for inflation, deflation, or suction. In some embodiments, thetracheal tube 12 may include an inflatable cuff 22. When inflated, thecuff 22 generally expands into the surrounding trachea to seal thetracheal passage around the tube, for example, to facilitate thecontrolled delivery of gases, medicines, and other substances, via amedical device (e.g., through the tube).

Traditionally, a standard end connector 24 has been inserted into aproximal opening 26 during manufacturing to allow for the coupling ofthe tracheal tube 12 to medical devices such as a ventilator. Thestandard end connector 24 includes a lower end 28 having an OD thatapproximately matches the ID of the tracheal tube 12. An upper end(i.e., male connector) 30 of the end connector 24 has a standard OD(e.g., 15 mm, 8.5 mm, 8 mm) that approximately matches the ID of themedical device. Accordingly, the medical device may be coupled to theupper end 30 of the end connector 24. However, in some circumstances, adifferent end connector 24 is desired. For example, it may be desired todecouple the ventilator and subsequently couple another medical devicehaving an end connector of a different size, or an end connector thatpresents a female attachment end instead of a male end. The old endconnector 24 may be removed, for example, by cutting off a portion ofthe tracheal tube 12 below the end connector 24. Coupling a new endconnector 24 to tracheal tube 12 is problematic due to the tight fit andthe consequent amount of force required to insert the end connectorlower end 28 into the proximal opening 26. Accordingly, a tracheal tubeadapter 32 is disclosed that allows for ease of detachment andattachment of the end connectors 24 as described in more detail below.

In certain embodiments, such as that depicted in FIG. 2, the trachealtube 12 is manufactured so that the tracheal tube adapter 32 is insertedinto the tracheal tube 12 during the manufacturing process. For example,techniques such as machine flaring may be used in which a flaringmachine employs a hydraulic or other actuator and a flaring die to flarethe proximal opening 26 of the tracheal tube 12. A robotic device or ahuman operator may then insert the tracheal tube adaptor 32 into theproximal opening 26 of the tracheal tube 12. Accordingly, the trachealtube 12 arrives at a clinical location with the tracheal tube adapter 32inserted into the proximal opening 26. In other embodiments, thetracheal tube 12 does not have the tracheal tube adapter 32 insertedduring manufacturing. The tracheal tube adapter 32 may then be insertedinto the tracheal tube 12, for example, by using embodiments of aflaring jig as described in more detail with respect to FIG. 5 below.Once inside the tracheal tube 12, the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may besecurely coupled to the tracheal tube 12 by a strong interference fit.That is, the compressive forces applied to the connector by the tuberesults in a frictional force between the outside walls of the trachealtube adaptor 32 and the inside walls of the tracheal tube 12 to providea very tight coupling between the tracheal tube adaptor 32 and thetracheal tube 12.

Once the tracheal tube adapter 32 is inserted into the tracheal tube 12,the lower end 28 of the end connector 24 may be inserted into thetracheal tube adapter 32 as depicted in FIG. 3. The resulting trachealtube system 10 may then be used to provide respiratory support in apatient, for example, by coupling a ventilator to the upper end 30 ofthe end connector 24. However, the force of the interference fit betweenthe end connector 24 and the tracheal tube adaptor 32 is less than theforce of the interference fit between the tracheal tube adaptor 32 andthe tracheal tube 12. Accordingly, an extraction force, for example anextraction force exerted by pulling axially on the upper end 30 of theend connector 24, will cause the end connector 24 to decouple from thetracheal tube adaptor 32 while the tracheal tube adaptor 32 remainscoupled to the tracheal tube 12. Indeed, the disclosed embodiments allowfor the manual decoupling of the end connector 24 while maintaining asecure coupling of the tracheal tube adaptor 32 to the tracheal tube 12.Further, the disclosed embodiments, such as the embodiments described inmore detail with respect to FIG. 4 below, allow for the manual couplingof a new end connector 24 having the upper end 30 in a different size ortype (e.g., male connector, female connector).

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a the tracheal tubeadaptor 32 that allows for ease of coupling and decoupling various endconnectors 24 while maintaining a secure coupling with the tracheal tube12. As mentioned above, the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may be insertedinto the proximal opening 26 of the tracheal tube 12 and is capable ofmaintaining a secure coupling with the tracheal tube 12. The trachealtube adaptor 32 also allows for the insertion of the end connector 24into the tracheal tube adapter 32 such that an end connector extractionforce capable of extracting the standard end connector 24 from thetracheal tube adaptor 32 is less than a tracheal tube adaptor extractionforce capable of extracting the tracheal tube adaptor 32 from thetracheal tube 12. Accordingly, the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may includecertain measurements (e.g., A, B, C, D, E, F, G), such as thosemeasurements depicted in FIG. 4, that may result in a stronginterference fit with the tracheal tube 12 but that allow for ease incoupling and decoupling of the end connector 24.

TABLE 1 End Connector OD A B C D E F G 3.0 mm 4.47 mm 4.07 mm 12.58 mm12.78 mm 4.10 mm 4.50 mm 4.70 mm 4.0 mm 5.46 mm 5.06 mm 12.58 mm 12.78mm 5.08 mm 5.48 mm 5.68 mm 4.5 mm 5.47 mm 5.57 mm 12.58 mm 12.78 mm 5.60mm 6.00 mm 6.20 mm 5.0 mm 6.07 mm 6.07 mm 12.58 mm 12.78 mm 6.10 mm 6.50mm 6.70 mm 5.5 mm 6.48 mm 6.58 mm 12.58 mm 12.78 mm 6.60 mm 7.00 mm 7.20mm

Table 1 above contains exemplary values for the depicted measurementsA-G that may be used by certain exemplary embodiments of the trachealtube adaptor 32. More specifically, the table contains a series ofmeasurements that may be used to manufacture the tracheal tube adaptor32 based on the OD of the lower end 28 (i.e., “End Connector OD” column)of the end connector 24. Standard end connectors, such as the endconnector 24, are typically manufactured so that the OD of their lowerend 28 is capable of insertion into a tracheal tube 12 having aparticular ID. Tracheal tubes 12 may have IDs ranging from 1.0 mm toupwards of 8 mm based on patient type (e.g., neonatal, pediatric, adult)and/or other factors. Accordingly, Table 1 lists five rows ofmeasurements, each row corresponding to a different size of the lowerend 28 OD of an end connector 24. It is to be understood that othervalues for the A-G measurements, for example, values having a range of±1%, ±5%, ±10%, or ±15% from the values disclosed in Table 1, may beused that also result in as secure coupling between the tracheal tubeadaptor 32 and the tracheal tube 12 while allowing for ease of couplingand decoupling of the end connector 24 from the tracheal tube adaptor32. It is also to be understood that while Table 1 contains five rows ofmeasurements corresponding to the values 3.0 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm, 5.0 mm,and 5.5 mm, other sizes and dimensional relationships may also beutilized.

A description of the measurements A-G depicted in FIG. 4 is as follows.A is the measurement of an OD of a lower end 34 of the tracheal tubeadaptor 32. B is the measurement of an ID of the lower end 34 of thetracheal tube adaptor 32. C is the measurement of a length from thelower end 34 to a flange 36. D is the measurement of a length from thelower end 34 to an upper end 38 of the tracheal tube adaptor 32. E isthe measurement of an ID of the upper end 38. F is the measurement of anOD of the upper end 38. G is the measurement of a length from the OD ofthe upper end 38 to the end of the flange 36. Accordingly the lower end34 of the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may be coupled to the tracheal tube12 while the upper end 36 of the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may be coupledto the end connector 24.

Embodiments of the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may be manufactured toinclude the measurements A-G by using a plurality of techniques, forexample, injection molding, extrusion manufacturing, computer numericalcontrol (CNC) milling, casting, and so forth. In some embodiments, thetracheal tube adaptor 32 may be manufactured out of a material having ahardness of approximately 80-90 Shore A. Some example materials that maybe used in the manufacture of the tracheal tube adaptor 32 includepolypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and acrylonitrile butadienestyrene (ABS). The resulting relative rigidity of the tracheal tubeadaptor 32 prevents the walls of the tracheal tube 12 from compressinginwardly when the tracheal tube adaptor 32 is in place. The rigidproperty of the tracheal tube adaptor 32 also aids in the ease ofcoupling and decoupling of the end connector 24 by minimizing theeffects on the end connector 24 of the compressive forces exerted by thewalls of the tracheal tube 12.

FIG. 5 illustrates embodiments of the tracheal tube 12, a flaring jig40, the tracheal tube adaptor 32, and the end connector 24. In certaincircumstances where the tracheal tube 12 does not include a trachealtube adaptor 32, the clinician may desire to exchange an existing endconnector 24 for a different end connector 24. Accordingly, theclinician may cut off a portion of the tracheal tube 12 containing theold end connector 24. The flaring jig 40 may then be inserted in theproximal opening 26 of the tracheal tube 12 and used to flare (i.e.,enlarge) the proximal opening 26. In certain embodiments, the flaringjig 40 may include a flaring measurement system (e.g., measurementgrooves 51 and a flare indicator 53) that may be used to obtain adesired diameter for the enlargement of the proximal opening 26 asdescribed in more detail with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7 below. Once theproximal opening 26 has been flared, the tracheal tube adaptor 32 may bemanually inserted into the proximal opening 26, for example, by exertingan axial force that is capable of driving the tracheal tube adaptor 32into the tracheal tube 12. The flange 36 of the tracheal tube adaptor 32is able to prevent over-insertion of the tracheal tube adaptor 32. Thatis, the flange 36 stops the tracheal tube adaptor 32 from being insertedtoo deeply inside of the tracheal tube 12 by contacting the edges of theproximal opening 26, thus stopping further insertion. It is also to beunderstood that the flaring jig 40 may be used to insert a new endconnector 24 into the tracheal tube 12. Indeed, the flaring jig 40allows for the insertion of either the tracheal tube adaptor 32 or theend connector 24 into the proximal opening 26.

If the tracheal tube adaptor 32 has been inserted into the tracheal tube12, the lower end 28 of the end connector 24 may then be inserted intothe tracheal tube adaptor 32. Indeed, end connectors 24 having differentupper ends 30, including standard end connectors 24 having upper ends(e.g., male adaptor) 30 with ODs of 15 mm, 8.5 mm, 8 mm, and so forth,may be inserted into the tracheal tube adaptor 32. The end connector 24may then be coupled, for example, to a female end connector 42 of aventilator 44. In the depicted embodiments, the coupling with theventilator 44 is possible because the female end connector 42 of theventilator 44 has an ID appropriately sized to match the OD of the upperend 30 of the end connector 24. It is advantageous to have the trachealtube adaptor 32 inserted into the tracheal tube 12 because the trachealtube adaptor 32 allows for the coupling and decoupling of various endconnectors 24 as needed. Indeed, the tracheal tube adaptor 32 allows aclinician to rapidly change the end connector 24 any number of times asneeded, with reasonable effort without resort to special tools orappliances other than as described.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an embodiment of an exemplary flaring jig 40.The flaring jig 40 may be included as part of a kit (e.g., connectorreplacement kit) that also includes, for example, one or more trachealtube adaptors 32. In the depicted embodiment, the flaring jig 40 is areverse fulcrum flaring jig 40. That is, the front arms 46 of theflaring jig 40 are capable of opening when the two handles 48 of theflaring jig 40 are brought together (i.e., closed). In otherembodiments, the flaring jig 40 may have a standard fulcrum so that thefront arms 46 of the flaring jig 40 are capable of opening when the twohandles 48 of the flaring jig are brought apart (i.e., opened). In thedepicted embodiment, each arm 46 of the flaring jig 40 includes a curvedwall 50. The two curved walls 50, when brought together, may form anapproximately circular shape having an outer diameter d. In otherembodiments, the curved walls may form other shapes such as an oblongshape or an oval shape. The outer diameter d is sized so as to allow theinsertion of the curved walls 50 into the proximal end 26 of thetracheal tube 12 with relative ease. In certain embodiments, a flaringmeasurement system may be included in the flaring jig 40. For example,the plurality of measurement grooves 51 and the corresponding flareindicator 53 may be included on the flaring jig 40. The measurementgrooves 51 may be capable of visually displaying diameter measurementscorresponding to the ID of the tracheal tube 12, for example, 3 mm, 4mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, and so forth. That is, the displayed diameter of 3 mmis capable of flaring a tracheal tube 12 that has a 3 mm ID, thedisplayed diameter of 4 mm is capable of flaring a tracheal tube 12 thathas a 4 mm ID, and so forth. The flare indicator 53 indicates thecurrently selected diameter. A clinician may thus choose a displayeddiameter on the flaring jig 40 that corresponds to the ID of thetracheal tube 12 in order to obtain a suitable flaring. Accordingly, itmay be possible to flare the proximal opening 26 of the tracheal tube 12at a suitable flaring diameter by using one hand to hold the trachealtube 12 and a second hand to hold the flaring jig 40. The second handmay insert the flaring jig curved walls 50 into the proximal opening 26,and then close the handles 48 of the flaring jig 40 until the flareindicator 53 reaches the desired diameter as visually indicated by thecorresponding measurement grove 51. The closing of the handles 48 of theflaring jig 40 thus results in the flaring of the tracheal tube 12 asdescribed in more detail below respect to FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view depicting a flaring of the tracheal tube 12by using embodiments of the flaring jig 40. In the depicted embodiment,the flaring jig 40 includes a set of curved walls 50 having a length l.An end 52 is positioned so as to face towards the proximal opening 26 ofthe tracheal tube 12 and an end 54 is positioned so as to face away fromthe proximal opening 26. Each of the curved walls 50 has an arm 46attached to the curved wall 50 at a midpoint of m=l/2. Accordingly, theflaring jig 40 is a symmetrical flaring jig 40 having no preferentialinsertion orientation. That is, the flaring jig 40 may be used such thateither of the ends 52 or 54 may be inserted into the tracheal tube 12and used for the flaring of the tracheal tube 12. In other embodiments,the flaring jig 40 may not be a symmetrical flaring jig 40 and may havean end 52 or an end 54 that is to be used as the insertion end inflaring the tracheal tube 12. In this embodiment, an end such as the end52 may have a longer length than the opposing end 54 and may thus beused as the preferred insertion end.

The curved walls 50 of the flaring jig 40 may be inserted into theproximal opening 26 so that the curved walls 50 share a commonlongitudinal axis 56 with the tracheal tube 12. Once inside the proximalopening 26, the handles 48 of the flaring jig 40 may be used to causethe curved walls 50 to move apart radially. Accordingly, the curvedwalls 50 will exert a radial force 58, causing the walls of the proximalend of the tracheal tube 12 to extend outwardly. The outward extensionof the walls of tracheal tube 12 will result in a flare 60 of thetracheal tube 12. As described above with respect to FIG. 6, the flaringmeasurement system (e.g., measurement grooves 51 and flare indicator 53)may be used to arrive at a desirable flaring diameter for the flare 60.Indeed, by using the measuring grooves 51 and the flare indicator 53 itmay be possible to quickly and accurately flare the proximal opening 26of the tracheal tube 12. The flare 60 includes a larger proximal opening26 than when the tracheal tube 12 was left unflared. Accordingly, thetracheal tube adaptor 32 may be easily inserted, for example, bymanually driving the tracheal tube adaptor 32 into the tracheal tube 12through the proximal opening 26.

The tracheal tube 12 may be manufactured out of an elastic orsemi-elastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane,polyethylene teraphthalate (PETP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE),polypropylene, silicone, neoprene, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), orpolyisoprene, that is capable of flexing outwardly when a radial forcesuch as force 58 is applied and then returning inwardly to approximatelyits original position once the radial force 58 is removed. Accordingly,once the tracheal tube adaptor 32 is placed inside the proximal opening26, the walls forming the proximal opening 26 will attempt to return tothe original diameter of the proximal opening 26. Such an elasticproperty will create a compressive force that results a frictionalcomponent that aids in maintaining a secure coupling between thetracheal tube adaptor 32 and the tracheal tube 12. Indeed, the couplingbetween the tracheal tube adaptor 32 and the tracheal tube 12 isstronger than the coupling between the end connector 24 and the trachealtube adaptor 32, enabling for the manual removal of the connector 24while allowing for the secure coupling of the tracheal tube adaptor 32to the tracheal tube 12. Embodiments of the tracheal tube adapter andflaring jig described herein facilitate the detachment of the endconnector and the attachment of a new end connector (or even the sameconnector), even in circumstances where the patient is intubated.

1. A tracheal tube adaptor system comprising: a tracheal tube adaptorcomprising an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end isconfigured to be coupled to a tracheal tube and the upper end isconfigured to be coupled to an end connector, wherein a first extractionforce required to decouple the end connector from the tracheal tubeadaptor is less than a second extraction force required to decouple thetracheal tube adaptor from the tracheal tube.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the end connector comprises a male end connector.
 3. The systemof claim 2, wherein the male connector comprises an outer diameter ofapproximately 15 mm.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the end connectorcomprises a female end connector.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thetracheal tube adaptor comprises a polypropylene, a polyvinyl chloride(PVC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a combinationthereof.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracheal tube adaptorcomprises a hardness of at least approximately 80 Shore A.
 7. The systemof claim 1, wherein the tracheal tube adaptor comprises an innerdiameter of at least 1 mm.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein thetracheal tube adaptor comprises an outer diameter of at least 2 mm. 9.The system of claim 1, wherein the tracheal tube comprises an innerdiameter of at least 2 mm.
 10. A tracheal tube adaptor systemcomprising: a tracheal tube adaptor configured to be coupled to atracheal tube; an end connector configured to be coupled to the trachealtube adaptor or to the tracheal tube; and, a tracheal tube flaring jigconfigured to flare the tracheal tube.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the tracheal tube adaptor is manufactured of polypropylene,polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or acombination thereof.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the trachealtube adaptor is coupled to the tracheal tube.
 13. The system of claim12, wherein the end connector is coupled to the tracheal tube adaptor.14. The system of claim 10, wherein the end connector is coupled to thetracheal tube.
 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the flaring jigcomprises a reverse fulcrum flaring jig.
 16. The system of claim 10,wherein at least the tracheal tube adapter and the flaring jig comprisea connector replacement kit.
 17. A method of making a tracheal tubesystem comprising: removing an end connector from a tracheal tube;flaring a portion of a proximal end of the tracheal tube; and insertinga tracheal tube adaptor or an end connector into the proximal end of thetracheal tube.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the tracheal tubeadaptor comprises a polypropylene, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC), anacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a combination thereof.
 19. Themethod of claim 17, wherein a flaring jig is used to flare the trachealtube.
 20. A method of manufacturing a tracheal tube system comprising:manufacturing a tracheal tube adaptor; flaring a portion of a proximalend of a tracheal tube; and inserting the tracheal tube adaptor into theproximal end of the tracheal tube.
 21. The method of claim 20,comprising manufacturing the tracheal tube adaptor by an injectionmolding process, an extrusion process, a computer numerical control(CNC) milling process, a casting process, or a combination thereof. 22.The method of claim 17, comprising manufacturing a flaring jig, whereinthe flaring jig may be used to flare the tracheal tube.